We have a name for the new independent Can-Am League team playing out of Ottawa Stadium next season: the Ottawa Champions. Cheeky name, really, considering the team has yet to play a game. But that’s OK: most insiders didn’t give the Can-Am League much of a shot in landing the Ottawa Stadium lease, but the […]
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Did MiLB dodge a bullet in Ottawa?
After reviewing the Ottawa City Council deliberations over a lease at Ottawa Stadium — with the decision to go with the indy Can-Am League over an affiliated bid — it’s pretty clear there was little commitment to spend money on serious ballpark upgrades. You can view the Ottawa Sun story about the ballpark deliberations here, […]
Ottawa to negotiate ballpark lease with Can-Am League
An Ottawa council committee today voted to direct staff to negotiate an Ottawa Stadium lease with the independent Can-Am League for the 2015 season. Staff had recommended the city move forward with the Can-Am League over a competing bid from Mandalay Baseball Properties, seeking to bring a Class AA Eastern League team to Ottawa. The […]
Ottawa: We’ll take indy Can-Am over affiliated ball
Ottawa has decided to go with the independent Can-Am League as a tenant for Ottawa Stadium instead of a Double-A team owned by Mandalay Baseball Properties, as a $40-million price tag was deemed to be too much. A report from the city examined RFPs from Mandalay and the Can-Am League. The city had already committed […]
Shocker: Only one legitimate response to Ottawa baseball RFP
Ottawa officials wanting a bidding war for an Ottawa Stadium lease are probably disappointed that only one bid, from Mandalay Baseball Properties, has been submitted. Ken Grey brings word on the state of bids for the ballpark: A source close to the negotiations says Mandalay Sports Entertainment and Professional Sports Catering have the Minor League […]
Ottawa baseball deal in final stretch
A deal to bring pro baseball back to Ottawa is close at hand, with Mandalay Baseball Properties poised to own a Class AA Eastern League team and Rogers Communications buying naming rights to Ottawa Stadium. The deal, which was first reported by Ken Grey and confirmed with MiLB team owners, calls for Mandalay to buy […]
Ottawa approves outlines of ballpark spending; specifics to be decided
With the Ottawa market apparantly up for grabs, an Ottawa city committee approved a plan to spend at least $10 million on improvements to Ottawa Stadium to attract an affiliated team. With the city now openly talking of seeking targets other than a Double-A team — the potential of a Single-A team was mentioned at […]
Ottawa revamps ballpark funding plan
Realizing the original lease proposal for a Class AA Eastern League team was totally unrealistic, Ottawa city officials are looking at raising more money locally for Ottawa Stadium upgrades. The original deal, hammered out by the city and Beacon Sports, called for a team to invest millions to upgrade the ballpark to Double-A standards, with […]
Mayor to pitch Blue Jays on charms of Ottawa Stadium
With the prospects of pro baseball returning to Ottawa dimming daily, Mayor Jim Watson is heading to Toronto to meet with Blue Jays officials about their interest in putting a team in Canada’s capital. Watson has led an effort to bring a team to Ottawa Stadium and brokered a deal with Beacon Sports on a […]
Ryan-Sanders close to buying B-Mets, moving team to Ottawa
The Ottawa Citizen reports it as a possibility, but we can report it as a certainty that Ryan-Sanders Baseball is negotiating to buy the Binghamton Mets (Class AA; Eastern League) and move the team to Ottawa Stadium in 2014. The negotiations have been described by baseball insiders as hard-edged, with Ryan-Sanders reps working to lower […]
Ottawa less than a done deal?
A sharp-eyed reader pointed us to a newspaper column by Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson that seems to suggest plans to bring a Class AA Eastern League team to Ottawa may not be as firm as previously thought. From the Ottawa Citizen: We are also working with the private sector to revitalize an important asset in […]
No, Erie’s not moving to Ottawa
We were pitched this story and passed because we know it’s not true, but apparently there’s enough talk to make it worth covering elsewhere: No, the Erie SeaWolves (Class AA; Eastern League) are not moving to Ottawa. An original, erroneous report in the Ottawa Citizen had the Mandalay Baseball Properties-owned SeaWolves as being a team […]
Eastern League to Ottawa in 2014, says city
Beacon Sports has brokered a deal to bring a Class AA Eastern League team to Ottawa Stadium for the 2014 season, according to a release sent out by the city. The release: Today, Mayor Jim Watson announced that the City of Ottawa has reached an agreement in principle with Beacon Sports Capital Partners for a […]